Etymology From Middle English sliden, from Old English slīdan (“to slide”), from Proto-West Germanic *slīdan, from Proto-Germanic *slīdaną (“to slide, glide”), from Proto-Indo-European *sléydʰ-e-ti, from *sleydʰ- (“slippery”). Cognate with Old High German slītan (“to slide”) (whence German schlittern), Middle Low German slīden (“to slide”), Middle Dutch slīden (“to slide”) (whence Dutch slijderen, frequentative of now obsolete slijden), Vedic Sanskrit स्रेधति (srédhati, “to err, blunder”).
to alter the meaning of a question by sliding in a word
Schoolchildren sometimes slide each other notes during class.
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Lachey and Olson have become rather chummy the last couple of years—they slide each other free tickets, they visit each other at practice sessions and games, their wives hang out—and, well, Olson has been filling Lachey’s head with a lot of baseball talk.1992 October, Steve Buckley, “Boss Hog: Jim Lachey is the best offensive lineman in football playing on the best team in football”, in Sport, volume 83, number 10, →ISSN, page 64:
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To subtly direct a facial expression at (someone).
Beware thou ſlide not by it, leſt thou fall before him that lieth in wait.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Ecclesiasticus 28:26, column 2:
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To pass along smoothly or unobservedly; to move gently onward without friction or hindrance.
A ship or boat slides through the water.
Ages shall slide away without perceiving.1692, John Dryden, Cleomenes, the Spartan Hero, a Tragedy:
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Begin vvith Senſe, of ev'ry Art the Soul, / Parts anſw'ring parts ſhall ſlide into a VVhole, […]1735, Alexander Pope, “Epistle 4”, in The Works of Mr. Alexander Pope, volume II, London: […] J. Wright, for Lawton Gilliver […], →OCLC, page 42, lines 59–62:
All night no ruder air perplex Thy sliding keel, till Phosphor, bright As our pure love, thro’ early light Shall glimmer on the dewy decks.1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto IX”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC:
The stock market slid yesterday after major stocks released weak quarterly results.
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Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music To smoothly pass from one note to another by bending the pitch upwards or downwards.
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Regional To ride down snowy hills upon a toboggan or similar object for recreation.
Tom and his mates discussed some plan for a few minutes and then Tom sang out: "Who'll go sliding? There's a big bob-sled in the barn and we fixed it up yesterday morning.[…]"1913, Alice B. Emerson, Ruth Fielding at Snow Camp, Or, Lost in the Backwoods:
"They're awful mean not to have taken us slidin' with them," declared Sammy, sitting on the front step and making no effort to continue the work of snow man building. "I love to slide," repeated Dot, sadly.1919, Grace Brooks Hill, The Corner House Girls Snowbound:
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Slang To go; to move from one place or to another.
"Gotta slide, this is my stop [on the train]."1999, Paolo Hewitt, Heaven's Promise, page 12:
"Baby what are you doing why are you putting your clothes back on?" "Somebody robbd my nigga I gotta go!" I tell her. With a saddened face, she says, "What do you mean you gotta go, is he okay?" "I don't know I just know I gotta slide, he's pulling up out here any min."2021, Virdez Evans, Actions with Consequences, iUniverse, →ISBN:
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Ball games, Games, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Soccer, Sports To kick so that the ball slides along the ground with little or no turning.
England captain Harry Kane missed a great chance to give them the lead shortly after the break but it did not prove costly as Raheem Sterling crowned a smooth move involving Declan Rice, Jack Grealish and Mason Mount to slide home his 16th goal in his past 24 international appearance after 55 minutes.2021 September 2, Phil McNulty, “Hungary 0-4 England”, in BBC:
Etymology From Middle English sliden, from Old English slīdan (“to slide”), from Proto-West Germanic *slīdan, from Proto-Germanic *slīdaną (“to slide, glide”), from Proto-Indo-European *sléydʰ-e-ti, from *sleydʰ- (“slippery”). Cognate with Old High German slītan (“to slide”) (whence German schlittern), Middle Low German slīden (“to slide”), Middle Dutch slīden (“to slide”) (whence Dutch slijderen, frequentative of now obsolete slijden), Vedic Sanskrit स्रेधति (srédhati, “to err, blunder”).
An item of play equipment that children can climb up and then slide down again.
The long, red slide was great fun for the kids.
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A surface of ice, snow, butter, etc. on which someone can slide for amusement or as a practical joke.
skimming over the ice[…]It was a good long slide, and there was something in the motion which Mr. Pickwick, who was very cold with standing still, could not help envying.1836 March – 1837 October, Charles Dickens, “How the Pickwickians Made and Cultivated the Acquaintance of a Couple of Nice Young Men Belonging to One of the Liberal Professions; How They Disported Themselves on the Ice; and How Their Visit Came to a Conclusion”, in The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1837, →OCLC, page 312:
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The falling of large amounts of rubble, earth and stones down the slope of a hill or mountain; avalanche.
The slide closed the highway.
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An inclined plane on which heavy bodies slide by the force of gravity, especially one constructed on a mountainside for conveying logs by sliding them down.
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A mechanism, or portion of one, consisting of a part which slides on or against a guide.
On many semiautomatic pistols, the barrel is beneath the slide.
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The act of sliding; smooth, even passage or progress.
a slide on the ice
Certainly Kings, that haue Able men of their Nobility, ſhall finde eaſe in imploying them; And a better Slide into their Buſineſſe: For People naturally bend to them, as borne in ſome ſort to Command.1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Nobility. XIIII.”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC, page 75:
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Conceptually, this cognitive slide from social to biological was facilitated by the rhetoric of eugenics, which acknowledged few distinctions between the two.2006, Matt Wray, Not Quite White, page 170:
But for West Brom it was further evidence they are struggling to arrest a slide down the table where they are now three points above the relegation zone after their sixth loss in seven league matches.2011 January 23, Alistair Magowan, “Blackburn 2 - 0 West Brom”, in BBC:
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A lever that can be moved in two directions.
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Synonym of slider (“movable part of a zip fastener that opens or closes the row of teeth”).
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A valve that works by sliding, such as in a trombone.
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Arts, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Photography A transparent plate bearing an image to be projected to a screen.
Please hire a vendor to put these boxfuls of slides under a scanner and convert them all to digital images.
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Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, SciencesBroadly A page of a computer presentation package such as PowerPoint.
I still need to prepare some slides for my presentation tomorrow.
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Sciences In full microscope slide: a flat, usually rectangular piece of glass or similar material on which a prepared sample may be viewed through a microscope.
Geography, Geology, Natural sciences A small dislocation in beds of rock along a line of fissure.
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Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music A grace consisting of two or more small notes moving by conjoint degrees, and leading to a principal note either above or below.
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Human sciences, Linguistics, Phonetics, Phonology, Sciences A sound which, by a gradual change in the position of the vocal organs, passes imperceptibly into another sound.
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A clasp or brooch for a belt, etc.
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Australia, Informal Removable rank insignia worn on epaulettes of army uniform.
The previous year, on November 30, 2023, Mr Brereton was pictured wearing what is known as "pollies" or polyester 'general duty dress', in which he is seen putting new rank slides on an officer's shoulder.2025 April 27, Olivia Caisley, “Anti-corruption watchdog boss Paul Brereton's defence links spark concerns”, in ABC News, Australian Broadcasting Corporation:
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A pocket in one's pants (trousers).
with ten dollars in his slide
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A sandal that is backless and open-toed.
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Medicine, Sciences, Speech therapy A voluntary stutter used as a technique to control stuttering in one's speech.